Change? When? How?
A friend wrote:
“Even when a promising path forward is found, the future will remain ambiguous, that is, difficult to read and marked by unexpected outcomes. Leaders who require certainty, stability, predictability and tested answers will struggle with such a future.”
Change is a common theme in the business/organizational world. And at times it seems ambiguous. Some businesses have been around for years and do well. They deliver a consistent product/service that customers want and buy. Other enterprises don’t change and fade away.
For most businesses, uncertainty and the resulting change are the way to do business. John Kotter, probably the best change proponent, states the first step is a sense of urgency. That is: we have to change or we won’t be around in the next year.
In my experience….the leader (and leadership team) need to commit to a change of direction and then follow through. In our family business we went from full service to warehouse to full service format in a three-year period. The market changed and so did we.
For many people….change is difficult. The best way to change is to manage the uncertainty.
Determine a desired outcome….develop a plan….adapt as necessary
TrueNorth 